Hair protecting device for use with bathing caps



May 5, 1954 l. s. BLANCHARD ETAL 3,131,400

HAIR PROTECTING DEVICE FOR USE WITH BATHING CAPS Filed April 10, 1961 IN V EN TORS Unit This invention, which is a continuation-in-part application of our copending application Serial No. 7,232, filed February 8, 1960, now Patent No. 3,063,057, relates to a protective head band worn to keep a swimmers hair dry.

A conventional swimming cap is made of rubber and shaped to fit as snugly as possible over the head and ears of a swimmer. Such caps have the disadvantage of letting water leak in around the edges of the cap, particularly by the ears, so that the swimmers hair becomes wet. Attempts to design caps to make a water tight fit have not met with success because a cap that is sufiiciently tight is uncomfortable and difficult to put on. This invention provides a head band which, when worn with a conventional swimming cap, keeps a svvimmers hair perfectly dry. Moreover, the head band and cap are both comfortable and easy to put on.

Briefly, this invention contemplates an adjustable protective head band comprising an elongated water absorbent strip which has free ends and is of sufficient length to fit around the head. Adjustable means are provided for securing the ends of the strip together to make a smooth snug fit around heads of different size. The strip has a lower edge which is disposed below the hair line of the wearer. An elongated water impermeable sheet is secured to the water absorbent strip between the head of the wearer and the strip. An upper portion of the water impermeable sheet is disposed above the hair line of the wearer and spans the hair line of the wearer to prevent the transfer of moisture from the water absorbent strip to the swimmers hair.

Preferably, the sheet is secured around its periphery to the strip, which includes a thick border along its bottom edge to increase its water absorbing capacity. One or more pairs of laterally spaced elongated and transversely extending ribs are provided on the rear portion of the head band so the ribs span and support the band.

In the preferred form, the ends of the head band are secured together by snaps attached in lonigtudinally spaced positions adjacent the ends of the head band so that the effective length of the band is adjustable to fit different size heads.

These and other aspects of the invention will be more fuliy understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation showing the head band in wearing position in phantom line under a conventional swimming cap;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the head band mounted to make a snug fit on the head of a swimmer;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the inside of the band;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the outside of the band;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on line 55 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, and FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 in particular a protective head band it includes an elongated curved strip 12 of water absorbent material such as charnois, cotton, patterned cotton knit, etc. The strip has an upper edge 13, a lower edge 13A, is wider at its central portion than at its ends, and is a developed surface of a swimmers head in the area around which the band is shown to fit snugly in FIG. 2.

atent 3,131,4h0 Patented May 5, 1964 A thin sheet 14 of water impermeable material, such as plastic, is of the same general shape as the water absorbent strip, and is secured to it by stitching 16 around the periphery of the sheet. The sheet has an upper edge 17 and a lower edge 17A (FIG. 5). The lower edge of the strip is folded back over itself and the lower edge of the sheet to form an elongated, longitudinal rib 18 of substantially greater bulk and thickness than the remainder of the band.

Two pairs of upwardly diverging transverse relatively rigid (with respect to the rest of the band) ribs 20 are formed at longitudinally spaced locations integrally with the band so that the ribs in each pair fit on opposite sides of a respective ear of the swimmer as shown in FIG. 2, and prevent the band from wrinkling around the rear portion of the head.

A pair of male snap portions 24 are attached to opposite ends of an elongated transverse tab 25 secured to the inside surface of the band at one end (left as viewed in FIG. 3). At the other end of the band, three elongated transverse tabs 26 are secured to the outside surface of the band. Each tab includes two separate respective female snap portions 28 (see left end of band in FIG. 4) to receive the male parts of the snaps. The three tabs on the outside of the band are inclined to eX- tend upwardly and outwardly so when the male portions are pressed into corresponding female portions, the ends of the bands are connected together in a crisscross pattern at a slight angle as shown in FIG. 2 to make a snug fit around the swimmers forehead.

In using the head band, it is placed around the swimmers neck and snapped to the correct size, the snaps being under the swimmers chin. The band is then slipped up over the head and ears to the position shown in FIG. 2 so the plastic sheet 14 is against the swimmers head and set to span the swimmers hairline. The elongated, longitudinal thick rib 18 is below the swimmers hairline around the entire circumference of the head.

A conventional water imperbeable swimming cap 30 (FIG. 1) is tight fit against the band and the thickened rib 18 which fit tightly against the swimmers head. Thus, it is virtually imposible for any water to flow past the head band into contact with the swirnmers hair. Any water which tends to leak past the lower edge of the outer cap is intercepted and absorbed by the thick rib 18.

When used for extended periods of time, the rib 18 gradually becomes saturated. Water diffuses slowly through the remainder of the band, but is prevented from contact with the hair by the plastic sheet 14 which spans the hair line. The head band in combination with a conventional swimming cap, was tested under severe conditions, such as water skiing, and provided protection for hours without any water reaching the hair of the wearer.

We claim:

1. An adjustable protective head band comprising an elongated water-absorbent strip having upper and lower edges and free ends and being of sufiicient length to fit around the head, adjustable means for securing the ends of the strip together to make a smooth fit of the strip around heads of different sizes, the strip having a lower edge disposable below the hair line of the wearer, and an elongated water-impermeable sheet having upper and lower edges and free ends and being secured around its edges to the water-absorbent strip and disposable between the head of the wearer and the strip, the sheet including a portion disposable in direct contact with the head of the wearer and above the hair line of the wearer, the upper edge of the sheet being at least as high as the upper edge of the absorbent strip, a lower portion of the sheet being disposable below the hair line to separate the hair of the wearer from the absorbent strip and prevent transfer of moisture from the strip to the hair.

2. An adjustable protective head band comprising an elongated water-absorbent strip having upper and lower edges and free ends and being of sufi'lcient length to fit around the head, adjustable means for securing the ends of the strip together to make a smooth fit of the strip around heads of different sizes, the strip having a lower edge disposable below the hair line of the wearer, an elongated water-impermeable sheet having upper and lower edges and free ends and being secured around its edges to the water-absorbent strip and disposable between the head of the wearer and the strip, the sheet including a portion disposable in direct contact with the head of the wearer and above the hair line of the wearer, the upper edge of the sheet being at least as high as the upper edge of the absorbent strip, a lower portion of the sheet being disposable below the hair line to separate the hair of the wearer from the absorbent strip and prevent transfer of moisture from the strip to the hear, and an elongated rib of water-absorbent material secured to the band below the lower edge of the water-impermeable sheet to be disposable against the head below the hair line.

3. An adjustable protective head band comprising an elongated water-absorbent strip having upper and lower edges and free ends and being of sufiicient length to fit around the head, adjustable means for securing the ends of the strip together to make a smooth fit of the strip around heads of difierent sizes, the strip having a lower edge disposable below the hair line of the wearer, and an elongated water-impermeable sheet having upper and lower edges and free ends and being secured around its edges to the water-absorbent strip and disposable between the head of the wearer and the strip, the sheet including a portion disposable in direct contact with the head of the wearer and above the hair line of the wearer, the upper edge of the sheet being at least as high as the upper edge of the absorbent strip, a lower portion of the Sheet being disposable below the hair line to separate the hair of the wearer from the absorbent strip and prevent transfer of moisture from the strip to the hair, the lower edge of the strip being folded over the lower edge of the sheet to form a rib of water-absorbent material to be disposable against the head below the hair line.

4. An adjustable protective head band comprising an elongated water-absorbent strip having upper and lower edges and free ends and being of sufiicient length to fit around the head, adjustable means for securing the ends of the strip together to make a smooth fit of the strip around heads of different sizes, the strip having a lower edge disposable below the hair line of the wearer, an elongated water-impermeable sheet having upper and lower edges and free ends and being secured around its edges to the water-absorbent strip and disposable between the head of the wearer and the strip, the sheet including a portion disposable in direct Contact with the head of the wearer and above the hair line of the wearer, the upper edge of the sheet being at least as high as the upper edge of the absorbent strip, a lower portion of the sheet being disposable below the hair line to separate the hair of the wearer from the absorbent strip and prevent transfer of moisture from the strip to the hair, and two pairs of transverse elongated ribs formed on the head band, the ribs of each pair being relatively rigid with respect to the rest of the band, and laterally spaced to fit on opposite sides of a respective ear of the wearer and resist wrinkling of the band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,501,591 Gage July 15, 1924 1,861,669 Van Sickle June 7, 1932 2,282,220 Gage May 5, 1942 2,295,659 Howland Sept. 15, 1942 2,929,071 Sterling et al. Mar. 22, 1960 3,019,444 Pollack Feb. 6, 1962 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE PROTECTIVE HEAD BAND COMPRISING AN ELEONGATED WATER-ABSORBENT STRIP HAVING UPPER AND LOWER EDGES AND FREE ENDS, AND BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO FIT AROUND THE HEAD, ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF THE STRIP TOGETHER TO MAKE A SMOOTH FIT OF THE STRIP AROUND HEADS OF DIFFERENT SIZES, THE STRIP HAVING A LOWER EDGE DISPOSABLE BELOW THE HAIR LINE OF THE WEARER, AND AN ELONGATED WATER-IMPERMEABLE SHEET HAVING UPPER AND LOWER EDGES AND FREE ENDS AND BEING SECURED AROUND ITS EDGES TO THE WATER-ABSORBENT STRIP AND DISPOSABLE BE- 